Today we’d like to introduce you to Zuzana Leckova.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Zuzana. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My family moved to Texas from Connecticut in 2009 when my daughters were 2 and 4 years old. We were already very familiar with Waldorf schools from East Coast and also from Europe (as I come from Slovakia). My condition for the move was having a Waldorf school in the area where our children could continue education. There was The Harvest in The Woodlands where we enrolled our older daughter. Once we made the move, The Harvest shut down. A small group of teachers and parents from The Harvest started Great Oak School that May. We immediately enrolled our 4-year-old in the mixed age Kindergarten class and our 2-year-old in a parent-child class. After the move, I did not return to corporate work and I became very involved with the school and started to serve as the Treasurer on its Board, as my background was accounting and tax. The school grew from one small Kindergarten class to now having two parent-child classes, one preschool class, two mixed-age Kindergarten classes and grades 1 through 7 (total of about 100 students excluding the parent-child classes). This year, my older daughter is in grade 7 and my younger one is in grade 5. In 2014, once there was a need for a full-time employee with an accounting background, I became the Finance Director.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The first shock was finding out that The Harvest shut down. We were coming from a small start-up Waldorf school in Connecticut, and I was looking forward to a more established school for our girls. Once I met the Great Oak School small group of truly passionate and hard-working teachers and families, I knew I had to join in. The road was not always smooth. Financials were always a struggle, finding qualified teachers was a challenge, and lack of knowledge of Waldorf education in Texas was also a concern. Coming from working for a large corporation for most of my career, being part of a start-up not-for-profit school with not very known education method was a big change. But knowing and believing that this type of education is what I needed for my girls was worth all the struggles.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Great Oak School – what should we know?
Great Oak School is an independent school offering a comprehensive, creative, vigorous education inspired by the pedagogical methods established by philosopher, social innovator and educator Rudolf Steiner. It strives to balance the academic, artistic and practical realms of education while cultivating a life-long love of learning and enthusiasm for life. It is part of a worldwide movement of more than 1,000 institutions.
Our early childhood is fully play based. We don’t introduce formal academics until first grade. Until then our children learn by imitation and through strong rhythm. They play outside, move, sing, listen to rich stories, garden, make bread and soup, help clean up. Early childhood classroom is an extension of a home. Once the students move to the grades, the academics become rigorous but balanced with art, music, movement. We educate the whole child, Waldorf is often referred to as the education of head, heart, and hands.
The best way to tell us apart is to come and visit. The children are happy and fully engaged. Their teachers love their jobs. One unique aspect of Waldorf schools is that the class teacher stays with their class for 8 years. There is a strong relationship/bond between the teacher, student, and the family. The community life is strong.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
You need to believe in what you do, and for me, it is the philosophy of the school. I knew the first day I stepped into a small Waldorf parent-child class (back in Connecticut) that it was the education I needed for my kids. Especially, in today’s world, where everyone thinks earlier and more is better. Where kids are taught to test. I believe in quality and at the right time.
All of our employees and also the members of the Board of Trustees believe in this education method. Many of us are here because we want this for our children. It is our drive every day.
Pricing:
- Early Childhood Tuition & Fees – $5,200 – $10,800
- Grades Tuition & Fees – $11,800 – $12,400
- Parent Child Classes – $25 per class (10 – 15 classes sessions)
Contact Info:
- Address: 715 Carrell Street
Tomball, TX 77375 - Website: https://greatoakschool.org/
- Phone: 281-516-7296
- Email: zuzana@greatoakschool.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatoakschool/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreatOakTomball/?ref=bookmarks
Image Credit:
Zuzana Leckova
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